EVE
Beginning Two

Joe Dawson had just put a bottle of Duncan MacLeod's favorite
beer in front of the Immortal when that well-known. . .well, at
least to Watchers. . ."look" crossed his friend's
face. And then a tight, closed look that told the Watcher who
was coming.

Joe mentally cursed, knowing who was approaching the bar and
wishing his timing was better. At least MacLeod wasn't going to
reveal the fact that Watcher "Adam Pierson" was
actually an Immortal to the Watchers currently hanging around
the bar. That alone gave Joe some hope for the two men
reconciling.

MacLeod glanced up at the Watcher and smiled grimly. "Methos."
He murmured and Joe nodded. MacLeod had once explained that
Methos had a very unique signature and he'd had no trouble
knowing when the Ancient Immortal was the one approaching.

Joe kept one eye on the door as he sank into a chair, pulling
his own drink toward him, waiting for the Old Man to enter. He
smiled slightly as it swung open and the familiar figure stepped
in. He opened his mouth to call out a greeting then froze, eyes
widening, mouth hanging open.

"Shit!" He muttered and MacLeod threw him a puzzled
look before turning to follow his eyes. He blinked, wondering
what was wrong with this picture then he saw what Joe had. That
while this figure was of the same height and build as the man he
knew, there were. . .*curves* were there shouldn't be.

This figure, complete with an all too familiar *Buzz*, was a
woman.

She stepped even closer and MacLeod took in the short brown
hair, gold-green eyes and pale skin. And the face, a familiar
face somehow feminized, the prominent nose softened and *just
right* for a face that could not be called beautiful but, in its
own way, cute. She walked to the bar to ask Mike something and
he pointed in their direction. The woman turned, stared for a
long moment then walked toward them, running an eye over the duo
before smiling a familiar cynical smile.

"I understand my brother tends to hang out here."
She said, her voice and accent a softer version of Methos'.
"His name is Adam Pierson."

"Brother?" Joe's voice squeaked and he paused to
clear his throat. "Errrr, yeah. Yeah, he does. Though I
don't know if he'll be in at all. I mean. . ." How could he
explain the events of the past couple of weeks to this patiently
waiting woman? He couldn't. Instead he settled for clearing his
throat again. "I'm Joe Dawson. I own this bar."

"Ahhhh." She slipped off her coat, revealing a
fisherman's sweater...oversized...and jeans. Jez, they even
dressed alike, Joe thought hazily. Even the coat was the
kind Methos would wear. She fastened a bemused look on Joe.
"And how high is his bar tab?" She asked.

Joe laughed. "It hit four digits last week. I plan on
whamming him with the printouts of the tabulation I did. I think
I could paper the walls with it."

"A couple times or three, no doubt." She draped the
coat over the back of an empty chair and leaned on it, looking
at MacLeod. "Does it speak or is it just here to fill the
chair?" She asked Joe politely.

Joe grinned, watching as a faint flush crept up his friend's
neck. "Sometimes I wonder. This is Duncan MacLeod. And your
name is. . .?"

The woman's smile deepened. "Three guesses. And the
first two don't count."

I think I'm gonna like her, Joe thought. "Eve."
He said without hesitation and the woman nodded. "Have a
seat, Eve. Wanna beer? Or is that a stupid question?"

"A beer'll be fine." She casually turned the chair
to sit on it backwards, arms crossed over the back. "I get
most of my tastes from Adam." She grinned and added.
"But not all."

Eve looked at MacLeod thoughtfully, eyebrow raised
inquiringly. "Somehow, I doubt Adam willingly mentioned his
brothers to you. It's not a part of his past he's particularly
proud of." She said pleasantly. "So something has
happened. . ."

"They're dead." MacLeod said bluntly, watching the
woman for her reaction.

Eve nodded. "Well, good riddance to bad rubbish and it's
about time. I was always tempted to do it myself but Kronos had
poor Adam tied up in such knots I was afraid of how it would
affect him. I never could find Caspian and as for Silas. .
." She shrugged. "Away from the others, Silas wasn't a
bad sort."

"Meth. . ." MacLeod started only to be cut off by
Eve.

"Adam." She said sharply with a glare to match the
tone of her words. He faltered, cleared his throat and
continued.

"Adam killed Silas."

Eve blinked. "Oh. Poor Adam. Silas is the only one he
really cared about." She said sadly. "And the other
two. . .?"

"Me."

"You'll have to tell me how it happened sometime. Though
I've an idea. Could I get something to eat, you think?"

"Adam and I are a very long story. Thank you." She
said as the waitress set a plate in front of her. She waited for
the woman to move out of hearing before continuing. "And
it's not really any of your business. Are you expecting him
tonight?" She asked Joe as she sliced into the steak.

"I'm not sure. He might not feel very welcome." Joe
couldn't help but look MacLeod as he said this.

"Oh? And why not?"

"It might have something to do with the thousands of
people he killed." MacLeod snapped.

Eve chewed, swallowed and looked thoughtfully at the
Highlander. "Was this a recent thing or are you talking
about what happened some three thousand years ago?"

"Does it matter?" MacLeod asked, surprised.

"Of course it does. Blaming Adam for what happened three
thousand years ago a bit like blaming the current youngest
generation of Germany for what Hitler did. He is not the same
man he was then. Just as I am not the same...person I was then.
Or you. . ." She waved the bottle at MacLeod sternly.
". . .are the same person you were three hundred years ago.
Or he. . ." and she waved at Joe this time. ". .
.isn't the same man he was thirty years ago."

MacLeod stared at her in disbelief. "He. . !"

"I know what he did. And I know what he didn't do."

Joe was nodding and grinning in agreement though he hastily
stopped when MacLeod scowled darkly at him.

"Where were you when Adam was cutting a bloody swath
through Europe?' MacLeod asked.

"I was cutting a bloody swath through China. Africa. Up
into Europe. Adam was clear of the Horsemen by the time we met.
Good thing too."

"Or there would have been five Horsemen?"

Eve started laughing, choking on the beer she had just
started to swallow. Joe started thumping her back while MacLeod
alternated between apologizing and mopping up the beer that
spilled from the woman's mouth and nose.

"Good lord! What the hell did you do to my sister?"
Adam Pierson stood behind the trio, staring in fascination at
the choking, laughing woman. She looked up at him, still
giggling and crooked a finger at him to come closer. He leaned
over and she whispered "Five Horsemen" at him before
collapsing into laughter again.

Adam didn't laugh. He looked at MacLeod soberly for a long
moment then thumped Eve hard on the back. "Come on, Eve.
Knock it off."

She rolled her head enough to peer at him. "It's
funny!" She insisted.

"No, it's not. Eve. . ."

She scowled, sitting up. "Spoilsport." She poked a
finger into his ribs. "Sit down, Adam."

Adam hesitated then pulled out the chair on Eve's other side.
Draping his coat over the back, he sat down. Glancing around, he
started to gesture to a waitress only to have Eve grabbed his
hand, holding it down.

"I understand you have a bar tab." She said
pleasantly.

"Errrr, yeah. I guess so. A small one."

It was Joe's turn to choke on his beer.

"According to Joe, it's somewhere in the four
digits."

"Oh surely not." Adam threw the Watcher an
imploring look but Joe was gone. The next minute, a thick stack
of printouts thumped onto the table. Joe grinned at Eve.

"Told you I could paper the bar with it."

Adam blinked at the stack, poking at it gingerly. "Joe.
. ?" He raised it the stack to peer at the total, paling
visibly. "Joe!"

Eve leaned over to peer at the amount, whistling softly.
"Pay up, bro."

"With what?" Adam glared at her. "I don't
carry that kind of cash!"

"Write a check."

Adam threw her a horrified look. "That'll clean out my
account!"

Eve leaned close until she was nose-to-nose with the man.
"Pay. It. Check. Credit card. I don't care. Pay. It."

Adam grimaced then sighed, reaching into his jacket for a
checkbook. Joe blinked in amazement. He hadn't thought Adam
would actually pay the tab. It had been a running joke among
them for such a long time that he had long since given up any
hopes of actually getting the money. Adam glanced at the total
again, winced, glanced imploringly at Eve then silently wrote
out a check, handing it dutifully to Joe. Joe studied it,
wondering if he should dash right out and deposit it then
discarded the idea.

"There!" Eve smiled brightly. "Now you have
the fun of running up another tab."

"And you'll be back in three years to make sure he pays
it?" Joe asked hopefully.